Whether it's feeling moody, demotivated, out of luck, questioning the path or just being extra fed up with Shanghai's pollution & humidity I find that the best way to deal with feeling "down" is to accept the fact that it's just a bad moment or a bad day. I try not to let it get to me. I try to give myself a break, a rest, a treat and actively believe that my "down" is temporary and soon I'll feel better (visualization friends, visualization).

Feeling Down, Again

But what about those periods where it feels like the down-moments & down-days suddenly are "taking over our world"? Well I'll tell you 2 things I'm currently reminding myself of:

(i) Mental down-ness has a way of multiplying very quickly if we don't deal with it

(ii) Dealing with it requires easy steps so do not worry

Dealing With "Down"

In one of the newsletters I regularly receive and actually read once in a while, I recently read that we say somewhere between 300-1000 words to ourselves every minute. Meaning the power of what you think to yourself, how you choose to perceive situations and how you deal with a down-situation or down-day has tremendous effect on how long it will last.

In a black & white world you'll either have positive approach or a negative approach to feeling down. The key is to be aware of your approach and gradually change it to being more and more positive. It's a very powerful way of increasing your mental health and being in control of your own mood and to a certain extent: being in control of your own "downs".

What's your current main approach to feeling down?

A Pessimist Approach:

1. This will last a long time, meanwhile I can't get anything properly done

2. It's me. I'm a mess and all other people are happy & normal

3. I hope it will pass, I don't have the control

An Optimist Approach:

1. Feeling down is temporary

2. All people feel down once in a while. It's how I deal with it that matters

3. I will deal with it. I'm in control

Focusing On Getting Up

Yes down-feelings are temporary and something we all experience - it's part of reality. So be an optimist who focus on dealing with it - focus on how you'll "get up" again.

My "getting-up" list it something like:

- Go to yoga, go for a run or clean the house (30 min of activity where I'm keeping both body & mind busy works magic for me)

- Take a power-nap (max 30 min, waking up after 2hours reality-escape does not work magic)

- Put on a happy playlist from YouTube and get some of the small things done I always think about doing but never get done (photo back-up of my travel photos)

- Make dinner-, movie- or just hang-out plans with my amazing BF so I have something to look forward to

- Call my mother or grandmother in Denmark just to hear how happy a call from China makes them, it totally changes perspective!

- The easiest: Ask my sister to send through some photos of my niece Sophia, happiest toddler in the world (see for yourself below).

Sum Up: How To Deal With Feeling a Bit Down

- Be Aware of your approach, your thoughts & the tone of the words in your head in regards to feeling "down" (pessimist vs optimist)

- Remember "down" is temporary, "down" is part of everyone's reality & you can take control and deal with it

- Get your "getting up" actions on, what's on your "getting up" list?

Any other tips Friends?

Have a great Monday and don't forge to visit Eric's blog for "science based tips on how to be awsome at life"!